//------------------------------//
// No Consequences 
// Story: Critter Snow Day 
// by Fluttercheer 
//------------------------------//

.
Now shall we sing songs of harmony within this realm! And with true love and brotherhood, each other we all whelm! This day, apart, warm hearths and hearts, all other doth efface! For friendship and rectitude to all and kindness and grace! Warm hearths to all and kindness and grace!


The first verse of Fluttershy's singing had barely reached Alula's eardrums, as her eyes shot open. Filled to the brim with energy and excitement, the filly threw off her blanket, climbed out of bed and was in front of Train Tracks' picture in an instant.
She leaned over her desk and placed her forehooves left and right of the picture. “You'll be mine..... sooner or later.” She snickered and gave the picture an amused grin.


Downstairs, Alula was sitting at the table and smeared a thick amount of butter on two warm pieces of toast. Her mother was sitting opposite of her, drinking coffee and smiling at her.
“You must have slept really well tonight, Alula,” she deducted with satisfaction. “I haven't seen you being so happy in the morning for a long time now.” She sipped at her coffee.
“And I'll maybe take another piece of toast after these,” Alula replied, chewing. Then a thought entered her head and she looked at her mother, curiously.
“I'm surprised the door wasn't locked when I woke up today. Am I not grounded anymore?”
“Grounded?” Alula's mother put her mug down in surprise. “No, Alula, I didn't ground you. Why would I?” She blinked, then her eyes became a little narrower. “Alula..... Have you done anything?”
“Looks like I didn't!” Alula replied, with a cheerful swing in her voice. She stuffed the last bit of toast into her mouth, suddenly seeming to be in a hurry, and fluttered over to her mother. She gave her a tight hug, then kissed her cheek. “I'm just happy that it's a new day full of opportunities!”
“Alula.....” the mare replied, the surprised tone from earlier having become increased tenfold now. “You really are different this morning, that's the daughter I raised!” she praised Alula, then gave her a kiss on the cheek in return. Alula scrunched her face without her mother noticing it.
A second later, it knocked on the front door.
“That's Peach Fuzz, I gotta go!” Alula left the table and flew out of the kitchen and into the foyer.
Her mother followed her. “Don't forget about your sneeze from earlier, Alula. I don't want you to get sick, so please wear this.” She hovered the full-body anorak in front of Alula's face, blocking her before she could reach the door.
“Alright, alright,” she said, sighing.
Swiftly, she put on the anorak by herself this time, then slipped into her boots after she had zipped it shut. Pulling the hood over her head, she turned around at her mother one last time before leaving. “Cook enough for dinner tonight, I'll maybe bring a guest for it!” Then she opened the door.
Peach Fuzz, looking severely impatient and already having raised one of her forehooves for another knock, greeted her. “Hey, Alula, good morning! What took you so long with opening the door?”
“Eh, it's nothing important.” Alula waved a hoof, dismissively. “Come, let's rush out! Train Tracks is waiting for me!” She flapped her wings and zipped over Peach Fuzz' head and away.
The other filly cocked her head over the weird response, but then she shrugged it off and followed her without asking questions.


On the marketplace, Alula approached the stall of the flower sisters with a smirk on her lips. Seeing how Daisy opened her mouth for a greeting, Alula decided to beat her to the punch.
“Hello, Alula!” she said swiftly.
Daisy's eyes shifted. “Uh..... Are you–”
“Are you here to buy something for the critters? I'm not sure if we have the right things for them, but feel free to look around!” The grin on Alula's face indicated her enjoyment as she looked down on the table and directed her eyes towards the all-too-familiar wax apple.
She grabbed it and held it in front of Daisy's face. “I'll take this one!” she announced. Alula opened a pocket of her anorak and pulled out a couple of bits, which she dropped on the spot she had just taken the apple from.
In front of her, Daisy raised an eyebrow and started moving her lips. It was Alula's cue. “This?” she asked with feigned confusion and raised an eyebrow herself. “But that's a wax apple, you can't feed this to critters.” The smugness of the grin on her face increased.
Alula left Daisy to this impression for a few seconds, then she turned around and trotted away from the stall.
Roseluck and Lily joined Daisy's side, all three of the sisters looking after Alula. “She has been sassy before, but maybe she is starting to get crazy now,” Roseluck said.
The trio nodded.


A couple minutes later, Alula entered the grounds of the Critter Snow Festival. She trotted across them and into the direction of the pile of food at the far end as, just like she expected, the turquoise filly with the light-brown mane slowly staggered into her direction.
Alula looked straight at the filly, who met her with pleading eyes. “See you tomorrow, filly!” Alula said casually as she trotted past her.
Immediately afterwards, Alula looked to the right like on command. “Alula?!” the screeching call of her name sounded into her ears. She stopped and turned into the direction, awaiting Scootaloo with a smile.
“Alula!” Scootaloo shouted again as she had arrived in front of her. “I knew it's you! Wow, it's been a really long time!” The filly waved friendly.
“Scoots?” Alula said with a feigned tone of surprise in her voice. Then she turned around at the spot and kicked her hindhooves with full force into Scootaloo's face, knocking her out cold. Instant satisfaction appearing on her face, Alula continued her way towards the pile.
Arrived in front of it, she plucked the wax apple from her back and put in on the table, as another expectation of hers was met. Wearing an unsure, nervous expression on her face, Fluttershy crept up to her.
“Uhm, d-did you just buck Scootaloo in the face?” she asked, voice low.
Alula gave her an incredulous look. She turned into the direction she had come from and looked at Scootaloo, who laid on her belly with closed eyes and her forelegs stretched out in front of her. A small amount of blood was trickling out of her nostrils.
With a reassuring smile, Alula turned to face Fluttershy again. “Oh, don't worry about her, Fluttershy. She's really into this.”
“Oh..... Uhm, okay, I-I guess that's fine, then,” Fluttershy stuttered, too disconcerted to think of a better response. On her back, Angel facepawed, then the little bunny repeatedly stomped with his left paw on Fluttershy's back.
“Oh! I mean..... Alula, what you did there really wasn't–” Fluttershy began a new sentence but, before she could finish it, Alula zipped at her side and pulled Angel off her back.
Holding Angel at his tail, she looked at him, grim and aggressively. “You know what I should do with an annoying, insufferable and horrible bunny like you? Shove you into a meat grinder and feed your remains to the tiger in Fluttershy's animal sanctuary!”
Angel's eyes grew wide and his mouth gaped open. Then he sniffed, teared up and started crying loudly, covering his eyes with his forepaws.
Alula did not react, other than forming another satisfied smile with her lips. She dropped the crying bunny in front of a very shocked Fluttershy and went her way.


After sundown, Alula licked her lips as she stared down on a tray filled with several slices of different pies and cakes, various biscuits and muffins and other pastries. She reached forward with a hoof, plucked a piece of apple from the thick, white cream on top of one of the pastries and bit into it, pleasurably. Her other hoof held a mug with cocoa. A marshmallow so large that it looked like it could absorb the entire content of the mug floated on top of it.
At her side, Peach Fuzz and Train Tracks stared at Alula, both wearing a grossed out expression. Both of them were content with a mug of cocoa each and a much smaller marshmallow in it. Alula looked at them, then pulled an apple-cinnamon stick from one of the tiny plates on the tray and offered it to them. Not saying a word, the other two foals slowly shook their heads. Alula put the stick down again, unphased by the rejection. She licked some cream off her hoof.
“I like seeing you enjoy yourself so much, Alula. My mom wouldn't allow that I stuff myself like that,” Peach Fuzz said. Despite the implied jealousy, there was a slight amount of sarcasm in her statement.
“How could you pay for all of this anyway?” Train Tracks threw in a question. “Your pocket money isn't that much.”
“My pocket money is more than you think. At least, right now.” Alula smirked victoriously. “I just told mom that I really want to try all the great food here at the Critter Snow Festival and asked her if I can get all my pocket money for the next six months in advance. She said yes.” Alula grabbed one of the apple-cinnamon sticks herself now and bit off a piece of it, then threw the rest into her mouth. She washed it down with a big gulp from her mug.
“But.... don't you worry about anything? My mom always talks about cholesterol, diabetes and love handles.” Peach Fuzz wrinkled her forehead.
“Pfft.” Alula waved a hoof to dismiss the question. “I don't worry about anything anymore!”
“Come on, that's impossible!” Peach Fuzz gave her friend a soft knock against the shoulder. “Everypony worries about something!”
Alula shrugged. “Not me, I'm special!” she said, reaching out of a slice of strawberry cake. “I'm so special, I don't even have to floss!” The words having left her lips, she inserted the slice into her mouth and shoved it around and pressed down on it, until it had disappeared in her mouth as a whole and filled out all of the space between her cheeks. A bit of pink cream stayed behind in the corner of her lips.
“Ugh.” Train Tracks averted his eyes, forcing back a retch.
“What?” Alula asked with full mouth.
Her two friends just rolled their eyes in response, while her tongue and teeth wrestled with the cake slice in her mouth, until she had succeeded in forcing it down her throat.
The attention of her friends focused on their cocoa again, Alula turned over at Train Tracks. “Hey, Tracks!” she said. “I always wondered, what type of trains do you like most: Steam-powered trains or magic-powered trains?”
A fire appeared in Train Tracks' eyes as he heard that Alula had started to talk about his favourite subject. “Steam-powered trains!” he shouted in fascination. “Magic is great, but magic is also everywhere, while steam-powered trains get used less and less. And that's a shame, it has so much more style to ride a train and hear the hissing when the water evaporates than riding a train and hearing nothing because magic is so quiet. And most steam trains look a lot more epic, too!”
“Hmm, okay.” Alula nodded. “Steam-powered trains, more style, look a lot more epic. Got it, thanks!” Then she reached out with both hooves and pulled Train Tracks close at her, not caring about that the tray was gliding off her lap and falling to the floor, and started to kiss his lips ferociously.
“HEY!” Peach Fuzz' shouted at her angrily. “Hey, Alula, what are you doing, you know that Train Tracks is my coltfriend!”
Alula ignored her. Keeping Train Tracks, who tried to pull away, in a tight grip, she stuck her tongue into his mouth and enjoyed the moment without guilt.


~  *  ~


Now shall we sing songs of harmony within this realm! And with true love and brotherhood, each other we all whelm! This day, apart, warm hearths and hearts, all other doth efface! For friendship and rectitude to all and kindness and grace! Warm hearths to all and kindness and grace!


Alula rose in her bed even faster than the last time. With a rather unnatural eagerness and driven by zeal, she hurried into the bathroom, took a shower and brushed her teeth. Time was rushing past her and before she knew it, she was with Peach Fuzz and Train Tracks at the marketplace.
Peach Fuzz and Train Tracks, looking into two opposite directions, scrutinized the marketplace. “Hmm, there are too many options, I can't decide what we should get for the critters. What about you, Peachy?” He removed his hoof from his eyes and looked at his fillyfriend.
“It's the same on my side,” she responded, her eyes still gliding over the stalls meticulously. She stopped and turned around to face Train Tracks. Wrapping one foreleg around his neck, she pulled him closer. “But no problem, we still have enough time to decide and together we will!” She wrapped her other foreleg around Train Tracks and now gently pulled his face closer. She nuzzled his nose and a bright blush was building on her cheeks. Train Tracks joined into the embrace and while Peach Fuzz was still nuzzling him with compassion, he planted his lips on hers. Their eyes glowing and fixated on each other, they engaged in a long and satisfying kiss.
As they had released their lips after what felt to them like a wonderful eternity, Peach Fuzz looked over her shoulder at Alula.
“Alula, let's split up, okay? Me and Train Tracks check out the right side and you can go to the left.” She did not wait for a response before she looked back at Train Tracks. Still wearing the blush, Peach Fuzz giggled, then she removed her hoof form Train Tracks face and pulled him with her the other one. The colt gladly obliged, showing no resistance.
“Actually,” Alula responsed. “I think it's best if I go with Train Tracks to the right side of the market and you check out the left side alone.”
Peach Fuzz stopped pulling her coltfriend and turned around at her friend. A frown built on her forehead and she pouted. “Why?” she simply asked, not attempting to hide the disappointment in her voice.
“Because we can't spend the entire day searching for critter gifts and you know that it will take that long if you and Train Tracks are together,” Alula explained. Her voice was full of the necessary conviction.
Train Tracks blushed and so did Peach Fuzz.
“Okay, I guess that's right.....” Peach Fuzz hesitantly admitted. “Fine, let's do it your way, Alula.”
“Great!” Alula clapped her hooves together, grinning. “Besides, you're going to have Train Tracks to yourself for the entire day once we're at the Critter Snow Festival!” she added as she noticed Peach Fuzz' weary sigh.
Peach Fuzz nodded. “Yeah,” she said taut. She gave Train Tracks a long kiss on the mouth, with longing eyes. “I see you soon!” she breathed into his face after she had released the kiss.
Train Tracks gave her a kiss in return, not any less long, then the filly and the colt separated and Train Tracks joined Alula. Trotting at each other's side, they went past a still frowning Peach Fuzz.


Unbeknownst to Train Tracks, Alula guided him through the marketplace and into a certain direction. They trotted at each other's side quietly, Train Tracks letting his eyes glide over the different stalls, until Alula spotted the destination she had planned for them: A stall full of neatly arranged, polished miniature train models.
“Hey, look what we have over there!” Alula pointed ahead, directing Train Tracks' attention at the stall.
He followed her outstretched hoof and his eyes became wide. “Trains!” he shouted. “And so many of them. He left Alula's side and raced in front of the stall, where his eyes got glued at the train models. Alula followed him, grinning.
“Wow, that's amazing!” she said as she joined his side at the stall.
“Right!? I can't believe this, they have everything here, from the Canterlot Express to the old Ponyville steam trains!” He breathed harder and at a fast pace as his eyes darted over the collection.
“Even those?” Alula came a step closer and leaned over the trains. “Wow! I love steam-powered trains so much more than the trains of today! I mean, magic is great, but magic is everywhere, while steam-powered trains get used less and less. That's a shame, it has so much more style to ride a train and hear the hissing when the water evaporates than riding a train and hearing nothing because magic is so quiet. And most steam trains look a lot more epic, too!” The carefully memorized words left Alula's mouth in a steady torrent.
Train Tracks opened his mouth and gasped. “Y-You know so much about trains, Alula?” he stammered, staring at her.
“Yup!” Alula confirmed. “My grandfather was a train engineer here in Ponyville and he told me all he knew about trains!”
“Wow, that's incredible, I never would have guessed that about you!” Train Tracks turned around in a frenzy. “Hey, Alula, can you visit me at home so we can talk about trains one day? There aren't many ponies my age who care for trains and it would be great to have somepony to talk about them!” His eyes glistened at the opportunity.
“Of course!” Alula agreed. “We can go right now! The day is still young, there's plenty of time to meet up with Peach Fuzz at the Critter Snow Festival later!”
“Uh-huh! Uh-huh!” Train Tracks bobbed up and down. Alula followed him without hesitation as he led her to his house.


As Alula and Train Tracks were lying on top of each other in front of the chimney in the living room of Train Tracks' house, the day wasn't young anymore. The moon shone in through a window behind the couch. Together with the crackling fire, it lit up the otherwise dark room. Train Tracks' parents were at the Critter Snow Festival and the house around them was quiet.
“Hmm.....” a sigh of pleasure left Alula's mouth as Train Tracks placed a line of kisses down her neck. She enjoyed it for a moment, then grabbed the colt and turned him around, sitting down on top of him. She lunged forward and pressed her lips on his, caressing them softly with her own.
It was Train Tracks' turn to sigh in pleasure. “Hmm, Peachy,” he breathed into Alula's eager lips.
Alula frowned, but kept her composure. “Alula,” she corrected him.
“Right,” Train Tracks commented on his slip-up briefly, then the ferocious kissing continued.
Alula parted lips with him and redirected her kisses onto his neck, like he had done it before. She moved further down and began planting kisses all over his chest.
“Oooooh,” the colt moaned. “P-Peachy. Oh, Peachy!”
Alula stopped kissing and sat up.
“What's wrong?” Train Tracks asked, his mind cloudy from making out. He grabbed her flank and pulled her closer.
Alula did not respond and just glared at him.


~  *  ~


Unsuspecting and innocent, like a pony who waited for a friend, Alula sat on one of the benches at the Ponyville train station and stared at the empty platform in front of her. She looked to the right. “Airflow coming in,” Alula spoke slowly. The scarf around her neck became moved by a sudden wind.
Her head wandered to the left. “A cock on Sweet Apple Acres mistakes the time of day.” A second later, a faint crow could be heard.
“Cue the train.” The train that had created the airflow rode into the station and came to a stop.
“All Aboard leaves the train.” The door of the train car opened and the conductor stepped out.
Alula looked to the engine. “Steamer leaves the train.” The door of the engine got opened and the train driver stepped onto the platform. “Yeah, take off your hat and wipe the sweat out of your mane, very good, buddy.” He did as Alula predicted.
She looked at one of the train's exits. “Alright, Princess Cadance, come out.” Princess Cadance set hoof on the platform, her husband and daughter in tow. “Yeah, fix your scarf, princess, you're doing great.”
Alula looked over at Steamer, who trotted over to Princess Cadance, smiling.
“Princess Cadance, welcome to the Crystal Empire!” She lipsynced his words.
“Oh, hello. How is your name?”
“Steamer, princess.”
“Good Morning, Steamer. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Well, uh..... I just wanted to ask..... Can I have your autograph, princess?”
“Of course, Steamer. We are on the way to visit Princess Twilight, but this won't take long. Shining, please take Flurry for a moment.”
“Oh, thank you so much, princess!”
Alula got up from her seat and began trotting towards the train's engine as Princess Cadance started to sign the picture of her.


“Ten, nine–”


“Steamer bows to the princess and turns around.”


“Seven, six–”


“Flurry Heart teleports into his face.”


“Four.”


“He screams as Flurry Heart grips his eyeballs and turns back at Princess Cadance in pain.”


“Three, two, one.”


As cool as a cucumber, Alula climbed into the engine car, unbothered by anypony. She closed the door, locked it and started the engine.
“And the train leaves the station.”


~  *  ~


“You are together for only six months now, it would be horrible if you find out that you don't fit together as well as you thought,” Alula launched, once again, this tactical sentence on Peach Fuzz and Train Tracks.
Peach Fuzz gasped, eyes widened in fear, then she crouched slightly and trotted away. Train Tracks stayed behind and looked at Alula. The pegasus filly used the chance and flew over to him.
“Hey, Tracks, what would you do if Peach Fuzz would leave you tomorrow?”
Train Tracks narrowed his eyes for a moment, but then he let his head hang and sighed. “That could easily happen,” he admitted. “We fight more and more lately.”
He trotted away, too, in the opposite direction, and Alula followed him. “So, what would you do?” she probed.
His head shot up. “Why are you asking me this, Alula?”
“I'm just caring for you!” she clarified. “You know, because I'm your friend.”
Train Tracks face became softer. “And you really mean this?” he asked.
“Yeah! I want to know how you think about it and how you feel. So I can help you to feel better.” She gave him a caring, compassionate look while she kept pace with him. “Isn't that what friends do?”
“Yeah.” He looked back down on the ground.
“Let us order some shakes and talk. I'll pay!” Alula gave him a friendly punch against the chest. “And a muffin!” she added as Train Tracks didn't react.
Train Tracks sighed. “Fine,” he said.


Inside Sugarcube Corner, Alula and Train Tracks sat at a free table. A milkshake stood in front of each of them and a plate with a muffin in front of Train Tracks. The colt sat there sunken in thoughts, his eyes fixated on the spot in front of his shake. Alula took a sip of hers, then she directed her eyes at Train Tracks.
“So, what do you want from fillies anyway?” she came to the point.
“Just the usual.....” he sighed deeply. “You know, cuteness, intelligence, a filly who likes to talk.”
“And Peach Fuzz isn't like this?” Alula asked.
“Yeah, she is. Sure she is. It's one of the reasons why I fell in love with her.” He closed his eyes and another sigh left his throat. “How about you? What do you want from a colt?” he asked after a few moments of silence.
Alula smiled at him, dreamily. “What I really want is a colt like you.” She leaned forward and rested her head on her forehooves, staring at him.
He stiffled a laugh. “Oh, come on..... That's not true.”
“Why not?” She gave him another smile. “If Peach Fuzz weren't here, who would you look for? How's your perfect filly?” Alula started probing again.
It caused something in Train Tracks and he leaned closer. “Okay,” he said. Slight annoyance that was mixed in with sudden courage gave his voice a new tone. “The first thing is, my perfect filly never sees herself as perfect. She always pushes herself to become better.”
“Just like me!” Alula said, eagerly.
“She is intelligent, supportive and funny.”
Alula's smile grew wider. “That's me, me and me!”
“She's refined and brave.”
“That's also me!”
“She has a cute and athletic body.” Train Tracks blushed a little at these words. “But she is not like one of those fillies who look in the mirror all the time.”
“I never look into a mirror and I have the cutest body of all fillies in Ponyville!” Demonstratively, Alula pulled down the zipper of her anorak, slipped with her forelegs out of it and pulled it down to her waist. It increased Train Tracks' blush.
“She's kind, talkative and caring,” he continued. “She is not afraid to face her problems.”
“This does sound more and more like me, isn't it?” Alula lifted her flank and inched a little closer to Train Tracks.
Train Tracks didn't notice the subtle approach and continued. “She likes animals and art and she always does her best to help others.”
“I will help you with whatever you want,” Alula said tenderly. She came another bit closer.
“And she loves listening to music and is always loyal to her friends,” Train Tracks concluded.
“Perfect,” Alula purred. “That's exactly like me, so let's get close now.” She reached out for him and already puckered her lips, blushing in anticipation, but Train Tracks suddenly stood up from his seat.
“Sorry, Alula.” He seemed to be in a hurry. “Thank you for inviting me.” He pointed at the milkshake and the muffin, both of which he had barely touched. “And thanks for listening to me, but it's gotten later than I wanted and I really need to see Peachy right now.” He gave Alula a single wave, then turned around and ran out of Sugarcube Corner.
Alula huffed and slumped down, planting her face on the table.